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An excellent little car, definately one I would recommend.

Before I start I just want to say that this review is soley my opinion on the driving of the vehicle. I have no idea of the technical information, cyclinders etc so I cannot comment on these things.

I have been driving the Seat Ibiza 1.0 for just over 2 years now and I have to say I am very happy with it. This was the first car I drove solo so I have a special bond with it. It has a lovely sleek and I personally feel feminine shape. It is curved and lovely looking, not at all boxy and manly like some other cars are. Mine is red which I am not so fond of but I don't mind it at all.

This is a 3 door which is both a god send and a hinderance in the same breathe. With having a young son when he was baby getting him in and out the car was a pain, especially when the drivers seat didn't go forward to allow access to the back seats. Of course it's not really a problem now he is almost 3 but if I had more choice I definately would prefer a 5 door. In saying that, it is not to say that there is limited room for putting a car seat in and out, there is plenty and it never felt too small. I found the seatbeat has fitted round every variety of car seat I have tried which is definately a plus for me.

The Seat is very spacious and has plenty of room in both the boot, back seats and leg room for passengers. The parcel tray easily comes in and out to give you extra room and the back seats fold almost flat to allow you to transport larger items. This is easily achieved by pulling a lever up. Being shorter I find the drivers seat fits easily up to the steering wheel and close enough for me to reach the pedals without being squashed whilst in the same breathe my sons dad can easily push the seat back and he also has a decent amount of room to move although given the choice he probably would have preferred more. The seats are very comfortable and curve into your body making even long drives comfortable enough. They have a large amount of room and you are in no way squished in at all.

The seatbelts are adjustable to avoid rubbing on the neck which is a positive for me especially when I find a lot of trouble with this happening with other cars. The electric windows are a god send on a hot day along with the air conditioning. The heaters work well and it can be very cosy during colder spells having the heater on en route.

There is a good amount of view space from the inside, out. I have been in cars with larger windows but I much prefer having the smaller type of windows in that not everyone can see everything inside! The points of the engine needed are easy to locate although honestly I have no use for popping the bonnet except to add more screenwash. I am useless at oil changing/checking etc and so I avoid doing it but it is easily achieved. Well viewing it seems to be simple enough.

Now onto the driving of the car. I find that this car has good handling although in wet or snowy conditions it isn't the most pleasant to drive and it does feel very shaky. Apart from that this is very sturdy, holds itself well, manoevours easily. Parking is simple enough in that this car is small enough to get in and out of spaces. I am the worlds worst parker (no seriously I really am) and even I can manage to get this in and out of tight spots. I cannot comment on reverse parking (something else I cannot achieve) but I have been in it whilst it is being reversed and it was done fine. The gears are easy to change, indicators, windscreen wipers etc easily accessible. A CD player can be put in and there are quite a few models that fit into it well. The steering is easy but I find that sometimes it can oversteer a little (of course that could also be my terrible driving). The breaks are good enough haven't experienced any problems, emergency breaking seems to do well but then again I can't comment on this in comparison to other cars.

My model is a 2002 and is still going well although at it's recent MOT there were a few things that needed fixed. Generally the parts for this are cheap enough, if you can get someone ou know to do any work needed this can be a very cheap car to repair and fix up when required. At the last MOT it wasn't flagged but it is definately overdrinking the petrol which could be something to look out for. It's not terrible but it is more expensive than it should be. The tax is £120 for the year (or there abouts) which again isn't too bad either. For tax, as I am only 22 and have never had an insurance policy I was £600 odd a year at first which I feel as a young driver isn't all that bad at all.

Overall this is a fantastic little car. I enjoy driving it and it handles most conditions well enough, even long drives I have never had a problem, the only problem I have had has been going up steep hills. Other than that this is a perfect car for people with or without children. I would definately recommend it. Definately as a first car, it is excellent.

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"Slow !!!"

Well, a good and a sad day has arrived on our household. The good point is that we are getting on so well that we are going down to one car. The sad point is that the other 'arf is lumbered with me, no really.. Eeer both car's are going and she has asked me to write a requiem for her much loved baby, her light blue P Reg, Seat Ibiza 1.0 CL hatchback 3 door 1043cc. It's a 1996 model that she has owned for two years, and has covered 33,500 miles altogether. It is quite an attractive looking car, and this one has the added attraction of a very nice looking set of alloy wheels. To further improve the other 'arfs impression of me I've been doing a bit of delving on some of the history of the Ibiza !! Seat was some time ago this strange company who built strange old cars under licence, and us English only noticed them on our annual drunken binge in Spain. Then, Volkswagen bought the company, so we all sobered up. That's what the German's were doing on the beach at Santa Ponsa then ?? The company are now aiming themselves at being a competitor to Alfa Romeo of Italy and are not doing bad at it, the rally wins also establishing them with credibility. Volkswagen designs have underpinned the Seat image as well. Now, forget all that cobblers I've just written, this is the one litre version right !! The engine has 4 cylinders, single point injection, catalyst, single overhead cam shaft, 2 valves per cylinder and produces 45 bhp. I got my five year calendar out to measure the following performance measurements :- Top speed 85 mph, yawn... 0-60 time was longer than the ride to work at 18.5 seconds. The kerb weight is 895 kgs for anyone still awake, and the maximum torque is 63 lb/ft at 3,200 rpm. The car is front wheel drive and has a five speed gearbox. What else didn,t I like about it, well for me as it's a three door car, the doors are so big to ease getting in and out of the rear that the seat belts are in the wrong place for me, but.. Well...nothing else really, it's a very pleasant car for it's size, and has been 100% reliable. This is one of the now superceded second generation Ibiza's, essentially a supermini size car. Volkswagen's influence made sure it was a huge improvement on our first encounters with Seat, and are solidly built, have a quality finish and paintwork, and essentially are a less expensive alternative to the VW Polo. The competitors to this car would be the Vauxhall Astra, the Hyundai Accent or the Fiat Punto. Originally this car cost £7,300 new, and would now be available in the range of £2,000 to £2,600. As such it is competitively priced. It is quite well equipped though I find the standard issue radio a bit weak, and miss such items as electric windows, sunroof etc, a reasonably basic car then. As regards running costs, the car is relatively heavy so fuel consumption is average at around 41 mpg, insurance is low at Group 2 and service intervals are long. The 30,000 mile service cost £160 and the tyres are still the originals which is very good. The only minor point is that the automatic choke now requires replacement, but don't tell the new owner !!! Parts are relatively cheap, an air filter being £9, fuel filter £25, oil filter £4.80 and timing/cam belt is £19.50. Service can be had at Seat or Volkswagen garages, all Ibiza engines being shared with the VW Polo. Driving. Ho hum da dee dah. I've only been allowed in the driving seat once, and that was to clean it, lol. The suspension is quite firm, and the steering has plenty of feel. The grip is pretty good, but the brakes are a bit vague. With the one litre engine, the car is a bit thrashy and noisy. One of the minor faults of the Ibiza range as a whole is that refinement could be a little better. However, ANDREWSGIRLFRIENDJK did get into the outside lane of the motorway once, doing 67.5mph !! There is a bit of road and wind n oise at higher speeds, and that is just me !! Sorry !!! Points to look out for if buying one :- Poor paintwork on a few, though not this one, only a minor spot of corrosion on the nice wheels. Watch out for minor damage along the flanks though, as the whole side could need repainting at a cost of £250 to £500, and that's just me after she's seen what I've written. There can be clutch problems due to sticky cables, and worn suspension on older models.There may also be some minor electrical faults. What do I think, well actually it's a well built car, quite va bit of space for the size of vehicle. Has fulfilled it's purpose in life entirely. BUT, THERE are many versions, a 1.3, 1.4 and 1.6 petrol, and a 1.9 diesel. BUT, then again, there is a 1.8 and 2.0 litre version with engines shared with the Golf, a very wide variety of choice. Now if only this had been the Cupra Sport 2.0 litre 16 valve 'F2', which is a 200bhp road-legal version of Seat's Evo 2 rally car with 6- speed gearbox, lowered suspension, deep bumpers, rear wing spoiler, 17'' alloys, Recaro front sports seats..... Rock on Tommy...

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I wouldn't say that I love my Ibiza but is a very good car. Apart from a couple of accidents (My fault) and a cambelt breaking twice. Should have changed it at 70,000 yes I know that I am woman but I did know that. My dad did teach me a thing or two. Like check oil and water every week and buy the Haynes manual for you car. It is a G reg. Ibiza with a 1.2 engine. It is going rusty in a couple of places but that could all be due to the fact that I hardly ever wash my car and have never waxed it. It runs on small tyres 155/13 which you can get budget for about £22-25 depending on where you go. Best to ring around and then pick the nearest and then check to see if they will match the price. Save wear and tear as well as fuel. In addition, as I do not do hardly any motorway driving and do less than 5000 miles a year. I do not have a problem with budget tyres. The model that I have is the entry-level trim. Yes it may not have a electric lighter and may not have all fancy trim with a cd player. At least no one is going to nick the radio, as it is not very good. The best thing about it, is the driver side glove box. I do love that idea. It does not have any door pockets but I have never seen a car like it before. Even my husband thinks that it is cool. I am one of these sad people who just see a car as way to get from A to B. So as long as I have a heater and comfy seat and it goes when you turn the key I don't care. I spend about £45-£55 a month on petrol depends on how much travelling I have to do and the cost of petrol. I tend to do about 320 miles a month. If you want a little run about you could do worse. Yes it may start to shudder when you go above 75mph (On private land only never on the roads) But hey it is not built with a 1.2 engine to be a speed demon. Does what I want it to do. In addition, seems to start good whatever the weather. I have not driven it since the 22nd Dec and started it on 28th Dec still with snow on it. As my car is parked out side. It started second time, which is not bad. Also you hardly ever see them in a scrap ayrd. So can only assume that they do ten to keep going.

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I've had my F reg Seat Ibiza "designer" for about seven years. I have no wish to part with it due to its unfailing reliability. the mechanics who have looked it over have even commented on what a good little car it is. Sure, it doesn't have all your fancy trimmings. It only has about a 950 engine (cheap car tax though)and the original seat coverings have worn out, but this car has style and even given its age it is very reliable. It has five gears - practically unheard of in a car with such a small engine, and I can get it up to 80+ mph without too much trouble. The Seat's bodywork is also something to bear in mind when buying one : they are basically Volkswagon bodys. BUT you aren't paying Volkswagon prices. Similar age range Seat's to mine may also have Porsche engines - it will tell you on the back of the car. If I have two areas to look out for as problems with these great little cars, it would be the car seat covers as these seem to go brittle and break up, and also there may be problems with the starter motor- I had mine fixed when I first got it. Most people won't buy Seat's because they don't seem to have much of a reputation good or bad - but let me tell you, mine has been good enough to keep for seven years and if I had my way I'd keep it for another seven!

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This car was definetly not a friend of mine! The only reason I bought it was that an ex-school friend of mine was the manager at the garage I bought it from and gave me £750 part exchange for my battered clapped out little Fiesta. While the car itself wasn;t all bad - it had central locking and a stereo, it was a bit basic. It didn;t have electric windows, no sunroof, no airconditioning, no ABS and no power steering. Not all of these are essential I will admit, but having now got a car with ABS, I'd never have another one that didn't have ABS, on account of the fact that if it wasn;t for ABS I wouldn;t be writing this now! Although it does well as far as fuel ecomony goes, the service costs for it were horrendous. I certainly didn;t expect to spend £400 on getting a K reg though an MOT two years ago. The parts have to be bought from a dealer as it's nigh on impossible to find them anywhere else. The insurance was quite cheap on it, which was one thing to be thankful for. But the body work was starting to suffer in places - bubbling paint work, patches of rust etc. I won't be buying another one - although I have to admit that it was an older model and things may have improved on the newer models, but I won;t be spending my hard earned money on finding out.